In honor of what would've been my wife's 65th b-day, I'm opening a carton of 1988 Topps...

Estil

So today would've been my (sadly) late wife's 65th birthday. Now she liked to open packs of baseball cards so about a year or two ago we did two cartons of 1993 Flair when BBCE had them for a big sale as they were the "other" first super premium set ever in 1993 along side the more famous (and expensive!) Finest. Then about a year or two ago I thought it'd be neat to open a sequence of 1987-88-89 (I was in 1st/2nd/3rd grade when they came out!) Topps wax cartons as that was the first ever sets I bought back in my college days plus they're the cards (especially 1989 Topps and Donruss) I had as a child.

So we had already went through about oh, halfway-ish through the 1987 one and we meant to do the rest during our anniversary together...but sadly she passed away a week prior (June 9). So I saved the 1988 carton for today, what would've been her 65th birthday and the 1989 carton for next June 17 which would've been our 17th (match!) anniversary.

Another tradition we did right from the start (because we used to get coupons for these in the mail) was for me to put in $40 worth of Kentucky Lottery scratch offs in her Christmas card. I decided to get $50 worth on her birthday this year (including picking one that had a lot of losing ones in the nearby garbage can; maybe she was sending me a sign? hee hee). Plus my grandma gives us a few scratch offs every year too. I'm not scratching them though until Christmas (we always opened out presents at 6:17AM to match our anniversary; hee hee) Did I forget to mention how I don't know what I would've done had it not been for my grandma and my kitty (he's sitting on my left shoulder/ribs while I'm typing this just purring away ) to help me through her passing?

Here's what I got so far (going in order from TL pack on the first/top row, then TR, BL, BR, then second row that way, and so on):

1. Dwight Evans
2. Vince Coleman, Red Sox TL
3. Bret Saberhagen, Dave Winfield (back)
4. Bill Buckner
5. Nolan Ryan RB, Roger Clemens
6. Kirby Puckett AS
7. Mike Greenwell, and this guy
8. Cal Ripken Sr MGR, Lenny Dykstra, Andy Van Slyke
9. Eddie Murray RB, Turn Back The Clock 1973, Bobby Bonilla, Orel Hershiser, Whitey Herzog MGR
10. Barry Larkin, Terry Francona
11. Terry Steinbach, Willie McGee, Lou Whitaker, Mickey Tettleton
12. John Kruk, Barry Larkin, Kirby Puckett, Mike Scissoa
13. Bill Ripken, Bill Buckner, Don Mattingly
14. 
15. 
16. Barry Bonds
17. Darryl Strawberry
18. 
19. 
20. Nolan Ryan (back), Mattingly AS, Cal Ripken Jr
21. Andy Van Slyke
22. Greg Maddux, Barry Larkin
23. Brett Butler (not the actress!), Tim Raines AS, CL, Harold Baines
24. Darren Daulton (back), Frank Viola

ScoobyDoo2

Awesome.... look forward to seeing it!!

JoeBanzai

Sorry for the loss of your wife. Hope you can relive some fond memories.

threeofsix

Great tribute!!!

Estil

Well I got the first third done so far! Not nearly as many HOFers so far compared to the 1987...

1951WheatiesPremium

Good luck, @Estil

Estil

@1951WheatiesPremium said:
Good luck, @Estil

Well, I won't get anything of significant value with opening the rest of the 1988 Topps carton but for the scratch offs...sure this has to be our year...we are LONG overdue.

thunderdan

Estil, if you get bored, here's a nice cat story for the holidays. Be honest, did you ever try to suckle Tweetie?

"“This woman had one of those, like, hairless cats swaddled up in a blanket so it looked like a baby,” she said. “Her shirt was up and she was trying to get the cat to latch and she wouldn’t put the cat back in the carrier. And the cat was screaming for its life.”

https://nypost.com/2021/12/02/woman-caught-breastfeeding-her-hairless-cat-on-a-delta-flight/

Estil

Anyway...

So it's now already been six months since I got that phone sad call. 😞 On my other main hobby, (mostly) retro video games, I had dedicated this month of December, Denise's birth month, to play her main gaming handheld, the DS (see, all three start with a D!).

Well would you believe when I turned on her (for this month I'm using hers and not mine) DS (the one that has her picture on top when I start it up) to work on some MegaMan Star Force 2, the time (and I swear on my cat's life this was completely unintentional), the time on it (and my computer clock) was 6:17AM...our anniversary date (and we often liked to be cute and ask the other what time it is when that time came up; hee hee). I wonder if it's a sign or something?

FirstBeard

That is really special. I have heard some amazing gaming-related stories after people pass and yours definitely gave me chills. I think this is a great tribute. Hang in there!

Estil

@FirstBeard said:
That is really special. I have heard some amazing gaming-related stories after people pass and yours definitely gave me chills. I think this is a great tribute. Hang in there!

In Zelda and such games I always thought it was really cute of me to tell her that "won" or "found" her heart (you know, like find Heart Pieces or "win" her heart from a boss)? She really liked hearts you see...and that would've been so cute to "win her heart" in that crane game in the Link's Awakening remake on the Switch (I don't have one of those yet). You know it's those little things like that you miss the most.

threeofsix

I enjoy how you remember all that was so good….it certainly keeps it special.

Estil

@threeofsix said:
I enjoy how you remember all that was so good….it certainly keeps it special.

Oh there were some not-so-good moments too...don't misunderstand me.

charlesf20

My condolences on your loss.
Excuse the inquisition but I am a little confused.
Sounds like you are around 40 years old,
Zelda was going to be 65 this year or that's a typo.
Nothing wrong with it if not ... I was just asking. Pardon.

threeofsix

@Estil said:

@threeofsix said:
I enjoy how you remember all that was so good….it certainly keeps it special.

Oh there were some not-so-good moments too...don't misunderstand me.

Apologies from me up front…I did not mean in any way to suggest otherwise.

I was referring only to the way you spoke on here about remembering opening cards together, and the way that the time on the clock always reminded you of your anniversary. I found these stories personally moving…and it was that which made me comment as I did.

I apologize again if imy comments came off any way other than that. Please know that was certainly not my intention.

Estil

@threeofsix said:
Apologies from me up front…I did not mean in any way to suggest otherwise.

I was referring only to the way you spoke on here about remembering opening cards together, and the way that the time on the clock always reminded you of your anniversary. I found these stories personally moving…and it was that which made me comment as I did.

I apologize again if imy comments came off any way other than that. Please know that was certainly not my intention.

Oh no no no no, I just don't want anyone to get the impression we had a totally model fairy tale kind of relationship. But still, I am glad to have been with her and there was some neat stuff I got to experience, not to mention being a cat parent, that I would not have gotten to otherwise.
​
And I almost forgot...another neat sign was when I went to the grocery store that day and this happened to be playing over their radio...it's one of my favorites from my childhood and it kinda put a smile on my face

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6Q3mHyzn78

If I had been just a few years older at the time I'm sure I would've had a major crush on her   And as you can see here, she's still got it!  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmeJ2VsCs-0

​

Estil

I hope you guys aren't too disappointed that for now I only did 1/3 of the carton...maybe I'll save some it for Christmas; hee hee I mean after all I didn't want to end up like this if I went through the whole carton in one sitting!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6X_UopOGZKE

FINESTKIND

Sorry for your loss. My wife passed away in September 2019. Although my wife didn't care for sports. She used to pretend that she was interested in my cards.

Estil

@FINESTKIND said:
Sorry for your loss. My wife passed away in September 2019. Although my wife didn't care for sports. She used to pretend that she was interested in my cards.

On that note sometimes I'd half jokingly ask my wife if my kitty didn't really love me but was instead just pretending and going through the motions (purring, sitting on my lap/next to me, sleeping with me in bed, etc) just to be polite

82FootballWaxMemorys

My condolences on your loss and may you obtain solace in this activity.

daltex

@Estil said:

@threeofsix said:
Apologies from me up front…I did not mean in any way to suggest otherwise.

I was referring only to the way you spoke on here about remembering opening cards together, and the way that the time on the clock always reminded you of your anniversary. I found these stories personally moving…and it was that which made me comment as I did.

I apologize again if imy comments came off any way other than that. Please know that was certainly not my intention.

Oh no no no no, I just don't want anyone to get the impression we had a totally model fairy tale kind of relationship. But still, I am glad to have been with her and there was some neat stuff I got to experience, not to mention being a cat parent, that I would not have gotten to otherwise.
​
And I almost forgot...another neat sign was when I went to the grocery store that day and this happened to be playing over their radio...it's one of my favorites from my childhood and it kinda put a smile on my face

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6Q3mHyzn78

If I had been just a few years older at the time I'm sure I would've had a major crush on her   And as you can see here, she's still got it!  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmeJ2VsCs-0

​

Ah, yes, the golden era of the "mall concert". I'd almost been able to forget!

voxels123

This is a great thread. It's good to remember to truly appreciate the important things in life. Best wishes to all, especially Estil at this time

DBesse27

@voxels123 said:
This is a great thread. It's good to remember to truly appreciate the important things in life. Best wishes to all, especially Estil at this time

Definitely a great thread.

FINESTKIND

@Estil said:

@FINESTKIND said:
Sorry for your loss. My wife passed away in September 2019. Although my wife didn't care for sports. She used to pretend that she was interested in my cards.

On that note sometimes I'd half jokingly ask my wife if my kitty didn't really love me but was instead just pretending and going through the motions (purring, sitting on my lap/next to me, sleeping with me in bed, etc) just to be polite

I was always asking my wife if I could have a dog. We lived in a very small apartment. In the middle of a conversation, I would ask if I can get a dog. I wanted a lab. She always said no. A few months before she passed away. I asked and she said yes ! I never got a dog.

Estil

So for (right before) Christmas Eve I did the next 12 packs (middle third of the carton) and posted the results above. Pack #20 is pretty nicely loaded but overall I don't think I'm having nearly as much like this one (so far) as I did the 1987. And yes I'm doing like the pack wrappers read and being a superstar by not doing drugs (besides my prescription ones and ONLY as directed!). And since (as Bulletproof would say) packs and cartons of alcohol and cigarettes are DRUGS, I say NO and have a good time with packs/cartons of trading cards instead!

Also for Christmas Eve Eve (as I like to call the 23rd), I went ahead and did my two $1 scratch-offs and two $2 ones (remember I got these on Dec 6th; what would've been my better half's 65th b-day )...and I got $3 on one of the $2 tickets (which I used to get another $3 ticket) and $30 (which I kept of course as I always play responsibly ) off one of the $1 tickets (that's not bad for a $1 ticket actually).

I'll do the four $3 tickets for Christmas Eve (EDIT: Sadly no luck on any of them ) and then the $5 tickets and the one $10 ticket on Christmas Day (plus my grandma traditionally gifts me a few tickets as well)...let's see how they go!